Med School Gets MRI Technology

UNC's new Magnetic Resonance Imaging system is only the third of its kind at a major institution and will allow researchers to see much more in-depth images of the brain.

"The scientific community will be able to look in more detail at anatomic structures, lesions, tissue profusion and at how the brain works," said Weili Lin, associate professor of radiology and biomedical engineering and head of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Laboratory.

The system, which costs from $2 million to $2.5 million, uses a magnetic field to detect protons in the brain and create effective images of the brain and its functions.

Lin said this system is an improvement over X-rays and other imaging systems because it better shows the anatomic structure of the brain, the contrast between tissues, and brain functions.

The machine is manufactured by Siemens and uses a magnet that is twice as strong as those used in other imaging systems.

Lin said the system is funded by the Department of Radiology, and the UNC community will benefit in a variety of ways.

"The new technology will provide an imaging component into research and will allow researchers to investigate disease," Lin said.

He also said the MR imaging system can be used on both animals and humans alike, which would strengthen the correlation between the two areas of study.

Neurological disorder research is the system's major practical application. Lin said brain tumors and other diseases can be more extensively studied, as well as general brain development.

UNC is one of few institutions to have a system like the MR imaging system, and Lin said research opportunities will improve at the University. "Students can benefit from the possibility of researching using cutting-edge technology," he said.

Ray Lee, a graduate student in the medical school, agreed that research options will be increased because of the MR imaging system.

"It gives students exposure to a type of technology that is important to medicine and research," he said.

As a student studying biomedical engineering and, specifically, researching stroke patients, Lee hopes the MR imaging system will continue to improve medical care.

"From my perspective, I would like the system to be applied to the development of diagnosis techniques, particularly in the field of neurology," he said.

The MR imaging system will be displayed for the public at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Radiology Research Building.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.